


Darkness Beyond the Horizon

by Black_Ashes



Series: The Exiles [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Gen, Grimdark, Sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1325632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Ashes/pseuds/Black_Ashes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story taking place with the MLP: FiM universe. One day, Rainbow Dash is sent off to investigate an old library. Inside, she finds an ancient book written by an unknown individual. The story within the book, an autobiography, details history from over a thousand years ago. Rather than following the history she was taught at school alongside everyone else, the story instead paints a dark history showing that world back then was not all sunshine and happiness. Society was separated into classes, laws were strict with severe consequences and if you were born low, chances were you would remain as so. One day, a commoner from the slumps stumbles upon a mysterious conspiracy that endangers everyone and threatens to shatter his perception of his home. But even as Rainbow Dash reads, she quickly learns that she, like the writer, had stumbled into something greater and it is now up to her to uncover the truth and to discover of what became of the author.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Book

Prologue: The Book

  
A long time ago, a group of islands just south of Equestria were found by accident by several ponies who then established their new home on it. Many years went by before the islands were disturbed and a small war erupted there. The war then grew in scale as Equestria joined in too. After the war, all known records of the island and the Royal Family's involvement in the islands was destroyed, all except for a single book which was hidden away in the hopes that it would never be found. If not for one brave Pegasus then this may have been true...

Rainbow Dash gently walked into the old house, cautious and wary of any dangers that may lie. Hours ago Twilight Sparkle had approached Rainbow Dash in the hopes that Dash would find an old Pegasi library. Dash despite her reluctance had agreed. Now she was regretting that decision as she entered the library section of the old house. The room was freezing cold to the point where there was some ice covering parts of the library. Rainbow Dash paused as she inspected one of the walls which was strangely not covered in ice and yet it was the coldest area in the entire library. She gently placed her hoof upon the wall, then slowly a hum filled the air. The wall glowed with a mysterious symbol, a symbol that was strangely similar to the Element of Loyalty, but with a pair of magnificent Pegasi wings on the side. The wall slowly retracted and moved to the side as Rainbow Dash hesitantly entered the room. The room was small and empty if not for a small podium that had a black book on top of it. Rainbow Dash approached the book, coaxed by a mysterious presence that just pleaded her to take the book and read it.  
Slowly a mysterious whisper echoed across the room "Rainbow Dash..."  
Rainbow Dash quickly swiveled "Who's there?" she demanded, but much to her surprise that instead of a response she merely heard a faint whisper that further beckoned her to the book.  
"Don't be afraid...Grab the book, and read it" said the whisper. Hesitantly, Rainbow Dash obliged the voice and opened the book. Much to her surprise as soon as she touched the book did the same symbol of Loyalty appear once again, and the lock which had been on the side had fell away with an echoing "click". Suddenly, the room warmed up and appeared to be much less darker despite there being no causes for the sudden light or warmth.  
"What just happened?" muttered Rainbow Dash as she gently slumped to the floor with the book in hoof. The first thing she noticed was the mysterious title some of which was scratched out: "T e D kS C r les". In the middle of the book was the glowing blue rune that she had seen before. Intrigued by the title and by the mysterious rune, Rainbow Dash began to open the book until a page somehow fell out and landed next to her. Rainbow Dash picked up the page and began to read it.

 

(The page seems to radiant a mysterious black and silvery aura)  
  
If you are reading this now then that means that my time has long since passed and Equestria is now under the rule of Celestia and Luna. If it is not so, then that means that the Brotherhood has indeed invaded Equestria and successfully taken control of it. If neither events have yet occurred then that means that Time has taken its own course and everything has changed. I do hope that the first part has occurred as it is a lesser of three tragedies. The book that you are now reading is not yet complete; as in my haste I was not able to compile my journal and notes successfully into a single book and was forced to hide this one while I was finished the other five, both of which I have scattered in fear of them being found and used against their original purpose. This book was passed onto my dear friend (The name appears to be blotted out) who, with my consent, carried it to an old chamber in Cloudsdale. To make sure that no one would be able to open this book, nor the chamber, besides their rightful owner I imprinted both with the seal of Loyalty as only the bearer of the artifact can unlock these seals.   
By now you may wonder as to why I took such precautions to guard this book, well the truth is that this book inside has many dark secrets. Secrets which, if used improperly, could lead to disastrous consequences. This book itself is the cornerstone in the tower that is Equestria and if one were to read it then they would be holding the keystone that, if it were to be removed (Or in this case, revealed), then they would be able to topple Equestria and bring down the entire nation on its knees. For within this book lies The Truth. The Truth of what really happened back in Equestria's golden years. The Truth of the royal family. The Truth of what really happened to the Exiles. And finally, The Truth our lives and how we were stripped from history and exiled to a far away place, never to be seen or heard of again. By reading this book, you shall ensnare yourself in matters that I would never wish to bestow upon anyone. Before you turn the page, I implore you. Please. Think of your future and what you are getting into and only once you have truly thought it over, do you have a choice. The choice to leave now and forever forget of this place and my words, never to see of them again or you can keep reading and tear down your life and rebuild a new one. The choice is yours.

* * *

 

Rainbow Dash put the page down, and looked at the book that lay before her. The book, which was so raggedy, aged, worn, and weathered. It looked like any old book and yet...The book's presence belayed its appearance as it gave an aura of power, age, and darkness. A feeling which she had not felt since she had fought Nightmare Moon. But this time, the feeling of darkness was not evil, rather it was warding, lonesome, and full of sadness. Rainbow Dash, for the first time ever, carefully considered her options, and at last she made her choice:

Rainbow Dash opened the book.


	2. Every Story Has a Beginning

Day 1). [A New Friend] Today is my fifth birthday! Although mother or father couldn't get me a present, they still did! It was an old journal (The same one I'm writing in right now), but it was still a journal. Telling mom and dad goodbye I left the house for the market hoping to get some food for my parents. Much to my dismay the market was practically empty, but I did manage to get some free food as gifts for my birthday. On my way I ran into the Pie family who, as always, were collecting their tools and getting ready for yet another season of Harvest which I thought was weird as the Autumn Harvest only ended a few weeks ago. The market was small in Old Town and whatever they sold was rarely below 5 bits. I was examining the stalls when I accidentally walked right into another colt. "Ow, watch where you're going!" He said. "Oops, sorry. I didn't see you there" I replied. The pony gave me a long look, "Really? Or is it that you were too distracted by the market stalls" He then sighed "You're a resident of the Slums I'm guessing?" " Yeah I am, but...how did you know?" Even as I said this I began examining him: He was a young colt, around the same age as me, he had a grey flank along with a black-gray mane, and most importantly I noticed that he had no cutie mark along with royal gauntlets on his front legs. The colt yet again stared at me "You look like you lived in the Ever-Free forest all your life and we're not even close to the forest so it's obvious that you're from the Slums" Even as he said the word "slums" a large frown spread across his face "I can't imagine how bad it must be to live there. I've heard all sorts of stories like how you eat food that's completely rotten or how that only the richest ponies can afford a house. Is it true?" I sagged as he said what I knew was the truth "Yes, it's all true. Except for the houses. We just "borrow" any abandoned houses we can find; it's really tough living out here because every day is a fight for survival. And ever since the famine hit Equestria things have begun to get even worse here than they already were. But enough about me, where are you from?" As soon as I said this he grew nervous and started to blush a little. " Uh, I'm from, uh....Canterlot" He winced as he said this "My name's Greyson Shade, I'd prefer it though if you would just call me Grey" I gave "Grey" a smile "Okay then 'Grey' it's nice to meet you. My name's ___" Grey gave me a brief smile (I guess he rarely smiled) "Alright. So, why did you come to the market?" I facehooved "Well, obviously to buy some food for my family. It's my birthday and they sometimes give out reduced prices" And even with my 2 bits that I saved up, I still had managed to buy enough food for the week. "Ah. Well, happy birthday then. I might as well give you a git for the occasion" Grey then took out a book called "The History Of The Southern Regions" and, much to my joy, he handed it to me. "Take good care of it. It's a very valuable book that was pulled out of production several decades ago on account of the war with those Islands." I stared at the book in wonder. Ever since I could read (If only a little) I have always loved books, and now in my hooves I held one of the rarest books in all of Equestria. I slowly opened the book and saw that it was practically in perfect condition. I do not need to say this, but I was speechless, "...Th-thank you Grey. You have no idea how happy this makes me." Suddenly I felt a hoof on my shoulder "I can see that. In fact you're crying. You might want to wipe those tears away." I slowly did wipe away my tears, and suddenly I hugged him. "Thanks Grey." He then hesitantly pushed me away "You think you can stop by my house for dinner?" I asked. Grey considered it for a moment then nodded . "Yeah, I think I can stop by for a little bit. Not too long though, I need to be back in Canterlot before dusk." And with that final word we left for my house. It didn't take as long as it should have thanks to Grey helping me carry all the food. For the next 2 hours we talked and laughed the day away until it was time for Grey to go. He promised that he wold stop by sometimes, but it might take a while. He said that something was happening and that all the Guards were getting nervous and jumpy, so Grey thought that it would be better if he hung around Canterlot to make sure that everything would be alright. "Don't worrry ___ I'll be back in about 2-3 weeks. I'll see you again soon buddy. Good bye!" And with that farewell he left for Canterlot. I then went to my room and cleaned up my bed and got ready to go to sleep. It is there where I am writing this journal, but it's getting to be late so I'd better go to sleep.

* * *

(Day 3. [Research, Results, and more Questions] This morning was nice as always, but one thing was different today: I had a book to read and a journal to write in. In case I needed to remind myself of what was written in the book I decided to copy down the most important parts: "The Southern Islands are a mysterious group of islands just south of Equestria. The islands have not been explored nor seen in a long period of time because of their location as well as the great number of sea monsters that populate the area of the ocean that surrounds the island. The island is also not accessible by air due to the strange air currents that are all around the islands. The island itself is also not visible from a distance because of a strange, but thick which should not be present because of the air currents. Any attempts to access the island by underground tunnels was thwarted due to mysterious creatures that either caved it sections of the tunnels or attacked the tunnelers." I was surprised by the amount of ponies who wanted to go to the islands, and I was even more surprised by the strange conditions of the island which were almost as if something or somepony did not want anyone on the island. *Knock Knock Knock* Hearing the knocking I quickly trotted down the stairs and opened the door to see a grinning Grey "Hey ____ , guess what I found!" I thought for a moment before I replied "I don't know...Another book?" Grey gave me a short nod. "Yup. I thought you might be interested in it since you were so happy about that book I gave you two days ago." He handed me yet another book. This book was more damaged and looked as if it was assembled from several other books. I opened it and flipped through a few pages as I noticed that some had a few detailed sketches and bios for the Southern Islands. "You have no idea how hard it was to get that" said Grey "I had to practically beg my father so he'd get it for me. He said that these books were released in minimal quantities because of something about...The Royal Family not wanting to let it become too...well-read." "Weird" I muttered as I found a sketch of a strange sharp piece of metal. The listing next to it called it "darke-steele". 'Sharp as a freshly cut piece of glass, and as hard as a brick covered in stone.' "So do you want to head out to town and maybe check out the bridge?" Setting the book down I started to walk down the stairs before giving Grey a quick look "Yeah sure. Why not?" we then headed out the door. *A few hours later* It took us a while to get to Shinedown Bridge because we stopped at several stores along the way to check out what wares they had. "It sure is pretty huh?" asked Grey. I looked at the somewhat murky water and at the setting sun "It's kind of a 50/50 thing here Grey." Nearby a pony passed by us pulling a carriage full of plants. Grey gave me shrug "I don't know. It's not like Canterlot out here. It's much more...Peaceful and run-to-ground than all shiny and bustling. Out here there are all kinds of pony who are content with living their lives, while back home, all those ponies only wish to get to a higher social status, become closer to the Royals and nobles, or just become more rich despite being already very rich." "Huh, I thought you would like it there more than here. Now that I think about it, why haven't you mentioned your father yet?" said I. Grey barely glanced at me before he started to kick at the ground. "I'm not very...Close with my family. My mother died when I was younger and my father is usually busy with his duties." Grey picked up his satchel and turned toward me and gave me a slight nod "Time to go. It's getting late." I feel as if I offended him somehow, but Grey didn't really want to talk on the way back home. Once I got home I began to look through the book again until I found a most curious symbol. Close to the symbol was the entry calling it an Element. It looked as if more was written, but the page was ripped off. A small paper was folded near the it and upon the piece of paper was written: "They're looking for me! The Royals are after me! But they're not alone! I must hide it! If they find it...Oh I can't even begin to think of what would happen! But what if someone finds this book!?! I must warn them! If anyone reads this then please, please hide this book!" On the back of the note the word "Exile" was written. The note confused me, what did the Royals have to do with anything? Why should I hide this book? But, to be safe, I hid it under my hay bed beneath a rotting floorboard and what did the term Exile had to do with anything. I just hope that Grey can help me make some sense of this.

* * *

 Day 4). [And so the story thickens] Today Grey decided to take me to Canterlot to look at it and to see how the "higher" Ponies lived. Along the road Grey told me that the real reason that we were heading there was to look up the author of that book and what he meant by that message. "It's important that we find out what happened to him and what he meant by that". "But why?" I asked. Greyson waved his hoof for transport "Because it's the first time that I heard of something involving the Royal Families, Nobles, and plots. Usually the Nobles just to topple each other and get in favor with the Royal Families so they get richer or more famous, but trying to silence a writer for something like this? No. There's something weird going on here and I want to find out." A carriage stopped by and we walked into it. "But why did you have to take me? And why today?" Grey slowly turned toward me, his expression bored "Because you always wanted to see Canterlot and because today the guard is going to be occupied at the Assembly. This will let us look around more easily. I decided to have one of my friends come with us. She may be a Noble, but we can trust her." "A mare?" I asked "But...Why not somepony strong? In case we have to run?" Grey chuckled "Rose is tough enough to help herself and us if we get into trouble. She's quite skilled at magic. Especially plant magic. You ever see huge vines come out of the ground to ensnare somepony?" I was shocked, I didn't even realize that Unicorns could be so powerful! Around Old Town all the ponies could barely do floaty magic. But even with Grey's statement that "Rose" could help us, I still wondered what kind of good could plant magic do- "Poison Joke" said Grey abruptly. "What?" I asked. 'Poison Joke. It's a plant that Rose tends to use. It's a plant that can cause certain ailments to appear. A pony who liked being strong might wake up being weak or a Pegasus who loved flight might wake up with unusable wings. Rose stuffed some Poison Joke in the chambers of the guards who would be on duty today. That'll prevent us from being caught." Grey reached into his pack and pulled out a scarf which he put on "Better dress up. It's going to be cold. The Pegasi decided to bring the icy winds a bit early this year." With that piece of advice Grey closed his eyes and sat back in his seat completely silent. Feeling that he didn't want me to bug him I decided to look out the window and see what the surroundings were like. There wasn't much to see because of the cold winds which had stripped the trees bare and grey and left the earth chilled and shrubless. Somehow, I always thought that Canterlot would be bright and full of life, but instead my first visit was very desolate and sad. Reminding me too much of home I decided to get some rest before we left for the Castle. --- The outside of the Castle was much better than the outside of Canterlot since it was surrounded by pretty flowers and lively folks, but whenever I walked by someone they would always give me this mean look as if they thought I was some dirty animal. Ignoring them I instead focused on the entrance up ahead until Grey held up a hoof. "Wait. This is where Rose agreed to meet us." "So is Rose her real name?" I asked. "No. Some ponies like me and Rose have family names after our real ones so we just shorten them. And she doesn't like being recognized as a member of the Draconis-" "WHOA WHOA WHOA!" I interrupted "Draconis?!?! She's a Draconis?!?!" Grey glared at me, but before he said anything, a mysterious and enthralling voice came from the tree next to us "Yes. I am. I prefer though, to not be recognized as one of the Draconis and I would like it if you would not mention it too much." Steadily, the most beautiful pony I have ever seen, walked out from behind the tree. She was an elegant white with a fair pink mane. Grey's glare slowly turned into a smirk as he looked at Rose "White with pink huh? I'd thought you'd pick another color." Rose annoyingly turned with a swish before turning her head slightly in Grey's direction "Well changing my color isn't easy when I'm nearly dead from exhaustion from all my studies. Now then. We'd best get going. Shall we?" And with that she began to trot toward the entrance. Grey lifted my jaw up with a smirk "Heh, real charming. Now let's get going before you turn to Ashes." --- The library was split into several wings/sections each named after a certain famous pony or named after what they held. Rose led us into the Cartographer section where we began to look around for anything that was similar to the book that I had. After an hour of searching we found nothing else except an old book underneath a bunch of scrolls. The book was strangely different from most of books in the way that it had a slight indent in the middle. "...Great. Just great..." Muttered Rose "A royal insignia is needed to open this." Grey frowned "What? Why would we?" Rose stared at the book until a faint pink glow shook it "See? It's guarded. High class magic. Real high class." I grabbed the book and examined it. Huh. It wouldn't open. I shook the book a little bit. It wouldn't even open a bit. I turned to Grey "Think you can do anything with it?" Grey shook his head. "Nope. I don't think I can." I turned to Rose. She was being strangely quiet. Then, she spoke up "Maybe we should take it. Maybe...Maybe your friend should take it Grey." Grey looked at Rose shocked "Are you serious!? But...But...But this is like a dream of yours? You always pursued stuff like this and now you're giving it up?" Rose nodded "Yes. If it weren't for him then we wouldn't have found this book in the first place. I think we can trust him with something like this." She handed me the book "If you ever find a way to open it, then find me as soon as you can. Understand?" I gulped, but gave her slight nod and smile "Yes ma'am." --- There was a slight rumble as we were walking out. I noticed it since we entered Canterlot, but now it seemed closer "What's that?" I asked. Grey frowned "I don't know...It almost sounds like a-" Suddenly an explosion occurred behind us! "RUN!" Screamed Rose! We ran as rocks began to fly by us and next to us. I turned to Grey "WHAT'S HAPPENING?!? WHAT'S WITH ALL OF THIS!?!" Grey's eyes were filled with fear. "I DON'T KNOW! THIS SURE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS PLANNED!" I heard a strange cracking and barely managed to turn around before I saw a large rock flying toward me. Moments before it hit me I heard Rose scream out to me "GET AWAY!! MOVE!!!" Then everything went black.

* * *

Day 9. [A Healer's Touch and the Myst of the Mountains] I woke up to to a bright light and a headache. Groggily, I looked around and saw my journal and (Torn) backpack lying on a box next to me. I blinked a bit. The light was really getting to me. Suddenly I remembered what happened. The book, the library, the blast...And Rose. Grey. My friends. Where were they? I looked around a bit, but all I saw was a white room. It was damaged as some of the paint was peeling off of the walls. The roof had some holes in it, but it was otherwise a lot like the walls. The room was empty besides a few boxes and a table with what looked like medicine and tools. I think. There were two windows behind me and a lantern focused by a piece of glass was above me. Where am I? Weakly attempting to stand I instead fell to the ground with a thud. My legs could just not support me. It was only then that I looked at them. They were covered in bandages. The door opened behind me and a large blue mare with a lightish blue mane walked in, looking angry, surprised, and grim. Without a word she raised me using magic and set me on the table. Behind her I noticed a young mare walk in. She was cute in the way that she was so shy. She was blue with a light blue mane that had light green tips at the end. She looked at me with concern from the doorway. The older mare grimaced as she looked at me. "Nice to see you're finally up." A small tube with a light at the end floated next to my eyes as the Mare examined me. "Hmm...Eyesight is fine. Response is good." She lowered the tube. "He looks fine. Sierra? Get me a bottle of spring water. Our 'guest' needs something to drink." The younger mare nodded before she ran off. I focused more on the mare before me. She was large, and strangely similar to the stallion I had seen earlier. She turned her sharp gaze toward me and gave me a slight smirk "Heh. Good to see you're memory is still functioning well." "Wha-What?" I stuttered. Her smirk turned to a grin "Speech too. I was worried for a moment that you went mute." "Who-who are you?" I asked. She walked out momentarily, and then returned with a chair in which she sat in. "My name is Myst. Myst Blue. That mare you saw earlier is my pupil. Sierra Myst. And yes, she is my daughter." I looked around for a bit more, "Where are my friends?" "They're resting. When they brought you in I thought they would pass out right there. They carried you from Canterlot to here you know." "Yeah. I remember a bit. I remember the rock that hit me." I answered. "What caused that...Explosion?" Myst Blue's smile faded as quick as it appeared. "That, my youngling, is a mystery to even me. In case you're wondering, sadly, a lot of ponies were hurt during the raid." What? The raid? "Wha-What do you mean by raid?" I said. Myst slowly levitated the Equestria Daily showing a group of ponies attacking Canterlot "These, might, be the ones who attacked Canterlot. Or so the news says." "Might be the ones?" I questioned. "Yes. Indeed. I doubt that a bunch of raider-ponies would suddenly attack a city like Canterlot like that and even use magic bombs. I think that this was done by someone else." Even as she said this, I heard the sound of hooves down the hall. "Clip-Clop, Clip-Clop, Clip-Clop." Myst turned toward the hall "And here's my assistant. Finally." Sierra entered the room and shyly gave me the drink without a word. I heard more hoof-steps down the hall again as I drank the water. It was strangely good. Rejuvenating even. It felt as if the water washed my pain away and gave me strength. "Whoa that was good." I muttered. Soon my friends walked in. Rose remained by Sierra. Silent and cool as ever. Grey dashed to my side and looked me over. "Heh. Nice to see you're still alive. You've been unconscious for nearly a week." A week! I was stunned. What would Mom and Dad think! Were they worried! Would they look for me?!? "And don't worry. Sierra over there told your parents that you were here after a small "accident" at Canterlot. They should be alright." Phew. gave a sigh of relief. With most of fears and worries put to rest I almost felt more at ease. Almost. "What happened to you and Rose?" I asked. Rose interrupted Grey and walked up to me "We were fine. Mostly. But you were near death. Practically dead. You're lucky that Myst has the Healer's Touch or else you would be dead." Dead? Dead? No wonder my friends were so worried. "Even stranger" said Rose "That book we found began to glow after you got hit. We even managed to open it and read it a little bit after Sierra helped us. It closed though as soon as you were okay. You have any idea why?" Rose then began to stare at me as if I knew why. "No. I don't." Rose gave me a slight nod "I had to be sure" she said. I pondered for a moment. If the book opened up, then what did they find in it? "So what'd you guys find? In the book I mean." Grey answered my question "Not much. Most of the pages were blank. The ones that weren't though told us something at least. They mentioned the Southern Islands a LOT and how the Noble Family tried to invade them a few decades ago, but they failed. It also mentioned something about a group of ponies and their "Evil leader" who were defeated by another group of ponies back then" As Grey mentioned the second group of ponies I noticed Myst slightly wince and lower her head. Did she know what Grey was talking about "-And so on. It seems that the author was hunted down and captured and tried for treason 5 years ago. He was Exiled to the Islands, but the boat never made it there. It seems that it was destroyed on the way there mysteriously." "And that's all it said?" I asked. Grey gave me a short nod. "Yup." He then turned to Myst and Sierra "So since ___ is awake, is he okay enough to travel?" Myst looked up abruptly and began to ponder for a bit. "Yees. He should be okay enough to travel, but take it easy." She left for a minute and brought a few vials: "Here" Myst gave the vials to Rose "Give your friend these every hour or whenever he feels weak. They should help him and speed up his recovery. Just give him a small swig." Rose nodded and put the vials in my bag. My friends then left to gather my stuff as Myst and Sierra left me in my room alone. --- "Thank you. For everything and more. Thank you Myst and Sierra" It was time for us to leave so I said farewell to the healers. Sierra blushed, and Myst just smiled at me "It's just nice to have -mostly- conscience visitors for once. And thank you, younglings, for the payment." She nudged Sierra forward lightly. "Um...Um...It-...It was our ple-pleasure to help you." Sierra stuttered. As Grey and Rose began to leave after saying good-bye, I gave a quick hug to Myst and Sierra, who blushed even more, "Thank you both again." I began to go after my friends until I heard Sierra call after me "Wait!" She ran up to me and moved forward to hug me, but instead she just put her hoof on my shoulder and smiled slightly, "Stay safe" as she put her hoof on my shoulder I felt a strange spark occur. What was that, I would wonder, Sierra left back to the hut (I was surprised to see a hut near the building we were just in). "You coming ___?" Called out Grey. Turning around I limped after my friends and so we began our trek home.

* * *

 Day 11). [Attack, Attack, Attack Old Town] This morning was peaceful as always, but that peace would go away very soon. Around noon an army of ponies in black metal appeared and lowered their metal thingies and suddenly a rain of black fire was shot at us! I was so scared that I ran for my closet and hid there. From outside I heard screaming and thuds all around. Suddenly everything turned black as I hit my head. When I finally woke up and looked outside...What I saw there scared me so much. There were ponies everywhere just laying on the ground as a pool of red formed around them. The Canterlot Guard was there looking around and helping whatever ponies could move. It was there that I saw my friend Grey. I quickly trotted out my door to talk to Grey, and I didn't even think about my parents. When I got there I saw a tall stallion in black and grey armor talking to Grey. "Are you okay?" The large stallion asked Grey. Grey gave him a tired look "Yes, yes I am. I only just got here after the Brotherhood soldiers left so there was no way they could've got me. You don't need to be so concerned. I frowned as I heard this. The Brotherhood? Who were they? Why did they do this to Old Town? The stallion merely grunted and walked away to look at some of the broken buildings. After he left I walked up to Grey "Hey Grey." Grey jumped a little bit before he turned around to face me "Oh. Hey ___. Do you know what happened here? "No. Not really. I fell asleep in my closet. Grey stared at me for a long time "You...Fell...Asleep...During the attack." He gave a sigh "Did you hit your head?" "Yes I did." "There you go. Now we solved this. I think you want to know who they were?" I gave him a nod "Yes, I really want to know who they were. Why were they attacking us?" Grey pointed toward a beaten bench "It's better that you sit down. It's going to be a lot to take in." So we both proceed to sit on the bench "First off, they are called the Brotherhood. They are a group of...Well, I don't really know. Nopony told me much about them. Next, I have no idea why they attacked Old Town. There's no point, but no one knows much about the Brotherhood. Not even the Queen." I was confused by what he said. Why didn't anyone know anything about them? "It's impossible to say when they are going to come again. Unlike most ponies, all of them can cast magic. He took out my book and opened it to page 32 (Where did he get it?). Inside was the picture of a tall pony in black, spiky "armor". "They all wear armor and those things they used, we call them "Shadow Guns" since they fire off magical bolts made of Shadows. They can practically go though anything." Suddenly, I remembered my home. If these bolts could get through even stone then they could've hurt my parents! I then dashed toward my house and looked in the kitchen. Both my parents were hurt quite a bit. "MOM! DAD! ARE YOU OKAY?!?" I ran to their side and slowly shook them "Come on! Wake up! Please!" Slowly Mom's eyes opened and she looked at me "___! Are you okay?" "Yes I am mom, but what about you and dad?" My mother waved her hoof at me "Pshhaaw, we'll be fine. You're the only one who matters" After checking on dad to make sure he was alright, I helped mom and dad up (Grey also helped me as I couldn't carry them both without help) and we left our broken home and instead took refuge in an old dusty house down the street on the left. The home was different in the way that it didn't feel like home, but we still stayed there for the rest of the day. Grey came by later and began to help me and my parents. When I asked Grey if my family could go back home, he said that it would be a while before they repaired it. He then promised me that something like this wouldn't happen again for a long, long time. Soon, The Queen, and both of the Princesses, came down from Canterlot, with their Mother, to look at the damage that had been done to our homes. "Oh my! What happened here!?" I turned and saw the young princess known as Celestia. Her sister, Luna, went after her, trying to not draw attention to herself. The Queen herself stepped off of the chariot and with grace, much unlike her daughter's, the queen then slowly walked down the street as quietly as she could. The Queen surveyed the town, her face a mixture of shock and sadness. "Who could've done this? Shade? Come here." The same Stallion in black and grey armor came from behind one of the building and stood next to the Queen. "You called my Liege?" Even as he said this his eyes slowly turned until they faced me. He gave me a slight flick of his head as if to say "Go". Not wishing to anger the mysterious pony, I walked away. As I walked through Draconis Alley I began to hear a strange fluttering sound. As I turned the corner all of a sudden I heard a bright, cheerful voice rang out from above me. "Watcha doin?" I looked up and saw a light green Pegasus grinning at me. "Huh? Who're you?" I asked. The Pegasus frowned "Aww, come on. No fair, I asked first!" This pony, I thought, is very weird. "I'm just walking around. Enjoying the view." The Pegasus stared at me. "What view? The only things around here, are broken building and dusty old alleys. What are you really doing around here?" It questioned. "Well this is home. Can't I walk around, and enjoy myself?" I replied. The Pegasus paused before abruptly flying away. "What a strange pony." I said to no one in general. After 6 o'clock, I began to make my way home, all the while hoping that nothing bad would happen. The trip was long and rough because of the broken homes and all of the wood lying around. All around me I saw homeless ponies that lay in the streets, hungry, hurt, and thirsty. No matter how much I wanted to, I knew that I could not help them. By the time I got home the Canterlot guards and the Queen had already left. My friend Grey stayed behind to help us fix up our home. From him I learned that the name of the Stallion was Shade and that he was the Lieutenant of the Black Guards. The Black Guards were a group of very strong and skilled ponies who would defend the royal family to the death. They also traveled across Equestria and a couple of other nations to see how things were doing. The Black Guards were also part of the 6 Guardians who were, without doubt, the best of the best. Grey then told me that the Sand Guards were coming to old town in a week in order to help us repair our town. Because it was very late , Grey decided to sleep over at our house for the night. I began to think about what happened today and what happened at the library. Were they somehow connected? Were these ponies looking for the Bastion? I didn't know. All I knew was that my life was never going to go back to the way it was. As mom said "With time must come change". I guess it was Time for my life to Change. I still wondered if somehow I wasn't the only pony out of a group to be chosen to have the book. That maybe, maybe I meant to. But I am getting sleepy so I'd best stop worrying. And with this final sentence I close my journal and lay my head to rest for the night.

* * *

 Day 12). [Night Prowling] It was barely midnight when Grey woke me up. "C'mon ___, we gotta get moving." "Huuuh?" I groaned as Grey shook me awake. His large grey eyes were staring at me in concern. "Good. You're awake. C'mon we have to move now." "wh-what happened?" I stuttered "What's the rush?" I looked outside "It's not even daytime yet!" "Of course __. But listen to me, we have to move NOW. It's urgent, and if you don't get up off of your lazy flank then we'll be in huge trouble...And not the kind involving harsh words." I stared at Grey in confusion. Though he was my best (And only) friend and I trusted him, I still didn't understand why he wouldn't explain what was going on. "Grey. Explain what's going on. Now." I demanded. Grey remained silent as he tossed a rope ladder down my window and quickly slid down it. Despite my better judgement I decided to follow Grey down and follow him to wherever he was going. "Heh, I knew you'd have to follow. Tough to resist the lull of adventure huh?" Grey smirked "Still, we're already 2 minutes behind. Best get moving." I followed Grey for a while. We went down winding streets, long, dark alleys, climbed tall broken buildings, and swam across frigid streams until we finally reached Draconis Alley. "...Are you kidding Grey?!? We could've walked down here so easily!" I shouted "SHHH! Quiet! Do you want so people will hear us? No. You don't. So quiet down. Besides, I thought we'd take the long road for fun." whispered Grey "Might as well fill you in. While you were prancing about the streets, I was working hard trying to figure out what went down here today. After a bunch of eavesdropp-" "Whoa whoa whoa" I said "Why were you so curious about his? And why did you bring me down here?" Grey gave a deep sigh and rolled his eyes "This is a very serious matter, and Draconis Alley is a safe place. I have a friend looking out for us in case any guards come by. For your first question, that is because ever since the Library accident I began to look around for clues about what happened until I accidentally came across some scrolls that had all these weird symbols! Before and after the library, several more places towns were also invaded. The Nobles tried to ven cover it up. When I asked around for how long the were there I found out that The Brotherhood ponies barely spent a minute in any place! I was stunned. "What!?!? You mean more places were attacked? Why were they there for so little?" Grey gave me a slight nod "Yup. But in Old Town they took longer. So ___. Be careful. They're dangerous. And I don't think they're done looking for whatever they want just yet." I fell backwards. Stunned as I was, I could still understand what Grey was saying. The Brotherhood was going to attack again. And I couldn't do anything at all about it. "Grey?" "Hmm?" "Why are you telling me this?" I asked. He momentarily looked at the sky before he said "Because I'm leaving tomorrow. Dad doesn't want me around Old Town after the attack" Suddenly I realized that the big stallion was Grey's dad "And I think that something big is going to happen soon. Why else would the Brotherhood start attacking all these places at the same time that the Canterlot Guard began doing a "Routine Inspection" like they did today? I think that they're both searching for something, and as soon as one of them find whatever they're looking for...Then things will get bad. Bad for everyone and not just for the other faction" I thought for a moment "You think they're after the book?" Grey shook his head "I don't know. Maybe they are, but why would they attack other places? Something doesn't add up here..." Suddenly I heard a familiar flapping, "Um, Grey? What's that noise?" Grey grimaced "That would be my lookout. And it looks like he has some news for me." He then turned toward me and gave me a quick hug "Stay safe ___. And if you find anything weird. Get as far away from it as you can" After a quick brohoof, Grey began to run down the alley as the familiar flapping noise seemed to follow after him. I lay in the alley for a while before I went home trying to deal with all that happened. It took me a while, but I finally managed to make it home as I attempted to deal with everything that happened today. In one simple day my life was flipped upside-down and over.

* * *

The rest of the pages seemed to have been torn out.

* * *

Rainbow Dash's mind was flooded with questions at what she had just read. She never could've thought that this journal was like this. It...Told a story. It seemed the more she read, the more she questions she had. Furthermore, why was the colt's name scratched out wherever it appeared? Desperate for more answers Rainbow Dash opened the book again to where she last stopped, but in it's place all she saw was evidence of ripped out pages and a blank page in front. Dash quickly leafed through the journal, but none of the pages had any writing on them. Slowly she felt the same presence that she did when she first entered the room "Go back to the end..." whispered a mysterious voice that seemingly came out of nowhere. Hesistently, Dash went back to the first blank page and slowly a soft skritching noise began to emanate from the book: "Skritch Skritch Skritch" slowly letters began to appear on the page until they spelled out "FIND THE LOST PAGES". Rainbow Dash abruptly dropped the book in surprise. She leaned over it as the letters began to disappear. Again, the noise resumed until a new message was spelled out "LOST PAGES" "OLD TOWN" "DARK MOON RISING " The presence receded again as Dash picked up the book and she, determined to learn its secrets, flew off for Canterlot.

* * *

 

*Elsewhere*

*A pair of silvery eyes open in a black room*

*Slowly a thin smile forms under the eyes*

"Soon."


	3. Interlude: The Search for the Lost Chapters

The Search For The Lost Chapters Part I

Draconis Alley. A small abandoned street-way located below Equestria in the ruins of what was once known as Old Town before the citizens of the town moved to the eastern seaboard of Newport. It was here that a long, long, long time ago that a colt ripped out pages of his diary and hid them here in an attempt to hide them in case someone, other than the desired new owner, would find his diary. For these pages held a mysterious secret and because of the years of being surrounded by darkness and magic, these pages themselves became infused with said magic and thus they became corrupted and tainted. It was here that a certain Pegasus would come searching for these pages. Sadly, she did not know of the danger regarding them, and neither did she now of what manner of creatures these pages may attract.

* * *

 Rainbow Dash looked at the book as more of its mysterious writing began to appear. She learned that she could write in a question and the book would be able to write answers to her questions. Many questions, as she would learn, the book was unable to answer. Either writing that it did not know, it could not answer them, or the book simply would not answer. Despite the book's secretive nature, Rainbow nonetheless listened to the book. "Are we there yet?" Wrote Rainbow Dash. "No. There is still some distance to cover before we reach the pages' hiding spot." Replied the journal. Dash sighed. She had been flying and walking for a while now, but she seemed no closer to reaching her destination than she did a few minutes ago. Suddenly, the book shuddered. Dash, finally having something interesting to do, pulled out the book and checked it: "We are near, but we are not alone. Not now." Dash was confused. What did the book mean by "We are not alone"? Then a loud "CRASH" resounded throughout the ruins. Dash hesitantly peeked around the corner and saw a strange beast attempting to smash the wall in a broken down house. Quietly, Dash pulled the book out and wrote in it "What is that?", for reasons she didn't understand, the book seemed to be able to detect things in a short radius as if it could see. Rainbow Dash suspected that magic was involved, but it didn't seem like any magic that she has seen before. It took a while before the book replied "That. Is a Darke-Leviagatr. It is a mostly aquatic beast that can venture onto land. It is most strange to see it here so far away from the ocean." Dash turned toward the beast again. It was large, filling up the room, and unlike most animals in Equestria, this one seemed feral. Mindless. And full of anger. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a watergator except it was dark blue, with a light underside, and large spiky scales lined its back. The beast roared before ramming the wall again. It seemed bent on opening the strangely resilient wall. Rainbow Dash quickly wrote in her book "How do I get past it?" The book did not respond for a while before it wrote back "You must defeat it or lead it back to the ocean. I suggest generating a whirlwind around it to knock it unconscious. You can then fly it back to the ocean." "What!?" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash before quickly checking if the beast noticed. It did not. She quickly began writing "How am I supposed to do THAT!?! It's too big!" The book quickly and elegantly wrote back "There is a river nearby here. If you can lure the beast there and knock it unconscious it should drift back to its home. I suspect that the magic seal placed upon the alcove here is attracting it. As soon as you break the seal, the beast should leave. But until we move it, it will prevent us from coming over there." Dash sighed. It was going to be an even longer day.

* * *

 With some effort (And fish) Rainbow Dash managed to lure the D-Leviagatr back to the river where she pummeled it to submission. A feat which was easier than it should have been as the beast was exhausted from all of its attempts to break the wall and from being so far away from any water. With that done, Rainbow Dash approached the wall and gently laid her hoof on it. A similar blue insignia appeared on the wall and the wall began to unlock as a puzzle. Inside the chamber was a podium and upon it were several pages that lay there undisturbed. The chamber was outline from the innard with lines of bright blue and a curious symbol glowed below the pages. As Dash got closer, and closer to the pages so did the journal begin to rumble, and shake as if it could not wait to be reunited with its brethren. Rainbow Dash lifted the pages and placed it within the book as a blue spark began at the top and go down as it repaired the pages and attached them to the journal. The journal faintly glowed and appeared to be newer. It was less brown, and more blackish and the title was now more visible. "T e D rksi Croni les" although a few letters were still missing. The author's name was still missing. Finally taking a breath, Rainbow Dash slumped down on the wall and looked outside. It was beginning to grow dark and it was time for her to return. Unlike when she had first time found the book, she did not feel any urge to read it now. "Time to go home I suppose" She said to herself. Flexing her sore wings, Rainbow Dash took flight.

* * *

*Elsewhere*

 

*The same eyes and smile are visible in the darkness*

 

 

*The smile grows wider*

 

"I am certain of it now. She is the one. Not much longer now. Not much longer is left until my long wait is over."


	4. Exiles

Day 13): Exiled.

Today, I woke up to an announcement of the Royal Guard stating that I was to be arrested. Having no other choice, I went with them. The last thing I saw were my parents: Worried, sad, and fearful for me. The Guards made me sit down in a carriage and it was there that they placed shackles upon me. The trip was short, and yet it seemed so long. When I got to the Castle of Canterlot, I stumbled out of the carriage and it was there that I saw 12 other ponies arriving just as I did. Even more to my shock was to see who they were: Grey, Rose, The green Pegasus, Sierra, and with them was the Captain of the Black Guard - Shade - as well as 5 others including Myst. I approached Grey.

"What's happening?" I asked.

Grey gave me a sad look "Our trial. That's what's happening. Dad was worried this might happen so he attempted to transfer yesterday, but it was already too late. If he could, it would probably save all of us."  
Trial? What did he mean? We didn't even do anything!

"What's the trial for?" I said as the guards began prodding me to move.

Grey replied in a hushed voice "Treason I think. I'm not sure."

Great. Just great. We were being tried for Treason...But why? I began thinking. The note! It said the Royals were watching him...Maybe this also happened to the author of The History of The Southern Isles? As I began thinking about this, I was filled with more, and more dread. If I was right then I had led my friends and me right to this. Then this was my fault...But why, I wondered, were those other ponies here? Curiosity besieged me so I asked Grey about them.

"I don't now much about them" Replied Grey "But I think they're here for reasons same as us. Or similar ones anyways..." Grey then gave a slight shrug "The green Pegasus over there is called Glade. Or so she says. She was was my informant."

"Wait. That was a she?" I said half-jokingly.

"Yeah. Go figure right? Glade takes after her older brother a bit too much. She prefers to look, and sound, like a colt to avoid too many problems. Not sure why or what kind of problems, but she never really shared much." Grey then pointed at a greyish-blue Pegasus who looked forward with a fierce gaze, and walked in a way that said that she was afraid of nothing, but rather, was prepared to face it head-on. "That. Is Skyfall." Said Grey "She's one of the toughest Pegasus I have ever met. Fearless, brave, loyal, and tough. She's great to have as a friend, but a terrible enemy to own."   
I turned forward as we walked into the hallway. It was there that I saw the queen, with a malicious glint in her eyes, and nobles that stood on the balcony's above us. We would be lucky to only receive an execution judging by their looks.

"You stand before me, and the Assembly, accused of: Treason, aiding the enemy of Equestria, destruction of Royal Property, and conspiracy to commit treason toward the Royal Family." Said the Queen with a faint smirk "How do you plead?"

Skyfall appeared ready to speak before I took a step forward. I was not going to this go by without a fight. "We ARE innocent. We, are just 13 young ponies" Said I "Why, and how, would we commit these crimes? We all were borne in Equestria and we love our homes, nation, and lives. Why would we sacrifice this all just to overthrow our Government?" my hoof flew to my mouth as I heard what I just said. This did not sound like me. What just happened?   
The Queen's smile slowly faded and turned into a scowl. Her eyes slowly began to fill up with flames as she glared at me. Obviously, she, nor the Assembly, were prepared for such a statement.

"Guard. Present the evidence and witnesses. Now." She said in a hushed voice. Unlike usual, her voice this time brought with it a cold, sharp tone as that of a blade of steel.

Grey grimaced "Buck me..."

Slowly a guard walked over and placed several things before the queen. Namingly, my book of The Southern Isles, the book that we stumbled across in the library, a memory orb, and several parchments showing schematics of the Castle, and other things. Needless to say, we were trapped.

"I believe these are yours?" Said the Queen

Grey paled even more "Buck me twice..."

I stood forward yet again "Yes. yes they are." The Queen was beginning to say something, but I interrupted her "But only the book of the Southern Isles is. The other book is one that we stumbled across in the library, and I have no knowledge of the schematics nor of the memory orb."

The Queen glared at me with even more fury. Having one-upped her in the Assembly, thus making her look bad, I was even more sure that execution would be a light sentence comparing to what she was planning.

"....Of course you have no idea of the memory orb. One of my scouts stumbled across the thirteen of you conspiring with the enemy, and in order to make sure that everyone could be aware of it, he volunteered for a memory extraction. A risky process all for because of his love of Equestria to expose you. And the books are obviously contraband. The History of the Southern Isles was destroyed after its author was convicted of treason against the Royal Family. And the other book is a Bastion. Which can only be obtained from very specific places, and not just some normal, run-of-the-mill library so you are obviously lying." The queen leaned back and gave me a look that said "You try and pick a fight with me and I'll bring you down. Yo can't win".

While I kept a straight face, in my mind I was more nervous and afraid than ever. But I had to do this!

"If these books are contraband then why was the history book still available and not destroyed? Furthermore, the Bastion has the mark of the Royal Seal so that means that it could only be accessed by a Royal. One of which I am obviously not. Furthermore, memory orbs can be crafted using a variety of ponies enacted a situation." I was really happy that Rose lent me a few of her books. Without them, I would probably not have made it this far yet.  
The Queen, for once, was completely stumped. She had obviously not expected such a potent resistance. Especially from a pony who came from Oldtown. I turned around and received looks of, albeit grudging, respect from most of the ponies. Even Skyfall gave me a nod of approval. Grey had seriously calmed down, and looked more relaxed then he did a few minutes ago. Sierra was gazing at me with a look of admiration. Glade was grinning as always. Rose was the only one who seemed perfectly calm, and unaware of what was happening. She opened one of her eyes, and gave me a slight nod. Shed then closed her eye and went back to thinking or something.

Even the Assembly was regarding me with respect. "this" I thought "Would be very useful", but why was the Queen still smiling?

Steadily, the Assembly began to cast their votes on our fate. The Queen grabbed the final vote and with a wide smile announced our fate "In the case of Equestria VS. The Darksiders...I HEREBY DECLARE THOU GUILTY!!!!

  
Everyone was stunned. The whole room was silent. I glanced at the Assembly who looked surprised as well, but they did not come to our defense for the Queen's Word was Law. My friends were shocked even Rose was stunned. I glanced at the Six Captains who were silent and immobile as ever, but I noticed that even they were shocked at the Queen's decision.

"THE ACCUSED'S FAMILIES ARE TO BE EXECUTED UNLESS THEY ARE EXCEPTIONAL, AND THE GUILTY ARE TO BE EXILED FOREVER TO THE SOUTHERN ISLES."

"NO!!!" I screamed "WHY ALL OF US? WHY? THEY (I pointed toward the others) DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!!"

The Queen's icy gaze passed over them "The guilty are to be with the guilty. No matter what. Now. Get. These. Traitors. Out. Of. My. Sight."

Shade slightly trembled before he stepped forward. The Stallion in Red armor tried to stop him, but Shade knocked him back. "Your Majesty. I object to your sentence. These are merely younglings. Half of them are related to some Nobles. And the other half could never have done something like this. I plead that you retract your statement."

The Queen merely smiled. "I don't think so Shade. My Word is Law. And even a Hero of the Wars doesn't have the authority to object to my orders. Now get back in line. Immediately or else."

  
Shade was silent and immobile for a moment before he, oh so slowly, backed up.

Grey's eye twitched. "Buck me thrice...We're dead."

* * *

  
The boat was surprisingly better than I expected. It was a large boat and very nice and clean. The guard said that it was like a "Dying favor to the poor souls sent off to the Isles." The boat had some food and drinks on it, as well as a small library. According to the guard this was the "11th boat, and by far the longest surviving one." I found out that most of the boats were either destroyed on the way there, or they were destroyed after getting there. Either way, no one ever arrived or came back from the Islands alive. Usually the captains were Pegasi so they could fly away before they made the half-way point at which they would fly to several mini-isles where they could rest and make their way back. There was sometimes a boat on one of these islands so the journey would be easier. I especially paid attention when the guard mentioned the boats and islands. If things went down-hill then those islands and boats could be our only way out.

* * *

 

We have been sailing for an hour now and along the way I learned a bit about my fellow convicts. First off: They all learned or came across something involved with the Southern Isles. Second off: Their home towns were also invaded by the Brotherhood. Third off: All these events coincidentally took place 13 days ago. As I learned more and more I began to wonder if it was chance or something else that bunched us all together. We pieced together what we figured out from our individual sources until we learned something similar: The Royals were hiding something. Something very, very secret and very, very important. Furthermore, some of them were related to the 6 Captains. The others, seven in all, were indirectly related to someone else who was involved with the 6 Captains. Once again, what I knew began to unravel as I learned more.

We all quickly became friends, and soon we began to discuss what would happen if we made it to the Isles. We also needed two leaders. So the ponies chose Skyfall and I (probably because of the trial incident...). We discussed long into the evening about what we might find there until we grew hungry. We decided to rest for the evening and we went to the kitchen to get some food. There wasn't much, but there was enough. Afterwards we all went to bed. I, on the other hand, decided to go sight seeing so I stepped out and looked over at the Horizon. All I saw was that:

Darkness Lies Beyond the Horizon

* * *

  
Day (13: Midnight. I was staring down at the ocean when Glade walked up to me. She gave me a newer journal and told me not to worry.

"Everything will be fine." She said.

I turned toward her "Will it? Will it?".

* * *

  
Day (14. With Hooves Held High

I stayed up through most of the night. Wondering about our homes. Our former lives. Our friends. I thought about every pony on this boat who lost something because of some bucked up circumstances. My thoughts wandered to the Royal Family and the Nobles. What were they hiding? What were they planning? Then, I thought about the Brotherhood. What did they want? Were they after the same thing as the Royals? Or was there more to them than meets the eye? I began thinking about when I first saw the Brotherhood. Huge Stallions in black armor. Armed with advanced weapons. Near unstoppable and utterly ruthless. Silent, brutal, and cold. In a way they reminded me of Shade. He was like them, but different. I wondered if he and the other captains had some history with the Brotherhood? Maybe. Just maybe. Suddenly, I heard a strange screech. I looked up and saw a array of...(Birds?) dive-bombing toward me. I barely jumped out of the way before the birds hit the floor. In the place where they hit, there was a large gash.

"I'd better get the-" Another bird swooped toward me. I didn't manage to dodge this one as it created a huge gash in my side!

"AGGGGH!" I screamed! The pain was agonizing. Near me, the door opened to show Grey standing with an unusual sword that resembled an overgrown bat wing.

"Get in the boat! Before the Hooktails get you! NOW!"

I barely crawled inside before the birds began to attack again. Grey carefully and expertly slashed at them with his blade. A pair of them struck the floor with a thunk.

I turned toward him "What were those things! They nearly tore me to bits!"  
Grey eyes searched the sky momentarily before he shut the door "Hooktail Bats. Nasty things. A Pegasus's worst nightmare. Hooktails must've sensed you and decided to go get some free breakfast."

"Buck me..." I whispered.

"You're lucky to still be alive" Said Grey "Hooktails usually attack in bigger numbers. They would've tore you to pieces. Speaking of tears, we'd better get you patched. It'd be bad if your wound got putrefied."  
I gulped as I glances at my wound. It was a deep, nasty gash as blood began to flow from it. Some of the muscles and flesh were torn and even sticking out slightly in some places. I turned before I puked. My stomach was still churning at the mere thought of the wound.

Grey pulled me up and began helping me walk. "Nasty stuff right? Try not to get the wound dirty though."

I vomited again as I weakly asked Grey "Hey, where's everyone else?"

Grey face scrunched up. "Downstairs. They heard the Hookbats and thought it'd be safe to stay down there. I'm surprised they forgot about you." He paused for a moment "Hey Sierra? Can you get up here? We have somepony who's injured and needs immediate attention."

From down below we heard a timid voice "..J-just h-how bad is it?"

"Uhhhhh...Bad enough for you to come, but not that bad." Replied Grey.

Sierra was silent before she finally replied "O-okay. I'll be right there in a minute."

Grey's gave me a slight smirk "5 bits says that she freaks when she sees you."

When Sierra finally came up she gave me a glance and instantly paled. "Guh, uh, uh..." She gulped and took out a syringe out of her bag. She turned away as she poked my side with it and ejected a medicine in it. Slowly, I felt a cool, but warm feeling through my body. It seemed to just was away the pain.

"Is that going to help him?" Asked Grey.

"Y-yes, I think so..." Said Sierra. "It should also reduce his pain while I mend his wounds."  
She levitated several tools and began working on my side. Even with the medicine it still hurt a lot. By the time she was finished she was covered in my blood.

Sierra shuddered "Uggghhhh, I need to wash off..."

Grey gave her a nod "Thanks." Sierra responded in kind and walked off. She paused for a moment and gave me a curious look before she trotted back downstairs.

"You think you'll be alright ___?" He asked.

"Yup. I should be. But what about the Hooktail Bats?" I replied.

Grey gave me a slight shrug "They'll fly off for a bit. I wouldn't advise going outside for a while though."

Grey picked up a roll of bandages and quickly wrapped up my side. "Try to avoid getting hit there again. Because I don't think you can survive a second time."

I nodded. The experience was far from pleasant and I would much rather spend my whole life without an injury like that again.

With help from Grey, I managed to get downstairs and get to the my room. Suddenly I remembered the captain. "What about the captain?" I asked.

"He'll be alright. The front of the ship is pretty well armored and he can take care of himself. So don't worry yourself about him. Besides, he's ferrying us to our deaths..."

I sat on my bed, and then walked over to my cabinet. "I better write about this is my journal" I thought.

The journal was beginning to run out of room though, and soon I'd have to change to my new one. I bet that there is only enough room in my first diary for today.

I turned as I heard my door open and it was there that I saw a smiling Skyfall.

"Heh. I thought you'd be passed out on the bed. That was a nasty wound you got."

She must've heard it from Sierra. "Sorry, for interrupting you at the palace"

She shrugged "It's alright. You did much better than I could've. A much, much better job. I'm curious though, how did a pony from the slums learn to talk like that? Or know all that stuff?"

I thought back to when Rose gave me a few of her books "Around the slums I sometimes would find some books. Plus, my friend Rose let me borrow some of her books. It's only thanks to her that I managed to do that."

Skyfall was silent as she studied me. "Hmm. I don't think that they were just the cause...There's more to you than anyone can see. I can just feel it..." She cleared her that and straightened up "Well, I guess you'd like to rest. See you tomorrow." She rushed out of the room before I managed to say anything.

"Well that was odd" I muttered.

I walked over to my bed and slowly pulled back the sheets. "Best get some rest." I thought. Before I did though, I grabbed my book and began writing about today in it.

* * *

 

INTERLUDE

* * *

  
Rainbow Dash gently closed the diary. Never in her wildest dreams could she have expected something like this. Dash placed the book on the table next to her as she laid down in her bed. She began to wonder about the colt who wrote it. What happened to him? What was his name? Why did he deserve such a fate? Dash shook her head, she just wanted to rest, but all that was on her mind was the book. She grabbed the book again and turned to the page where the colt described Skyfall. She seemed a bit like Dash. Was Dash somehow related to her? Rainbow Dash turned toward the end of the book where the empty page was. Rainbow Dash began to write "What happened to him?" Unlike yesterday, the book wrote no reply back to her. None at all. Not even a scribble. As her words began to fade, Rainbow Dash wrote in another question "Is this the end? What of the other journal?" Yet again, the book said nothing in return. Rainbow Dash set aside the book and laid down again to sleep, but a strange click interrupted that. She glanced at the book before rapidly snatching it. The book had grown a strange lock that prevented her from opening it. Unlike the blue seal, the one on top of the lock was a strange one indeed: It was a shield with a pair of scythes with a skull on top. Rainbow Dash tried to pry the lock open, but it wouldn't budge. Not a bit. It seemed as if the book has finally passed on its story and now laid itself to sleep. Rainbow Dash hid the book under her bed before she finally went to sleep. "I'll solve this tomorrow" she thought.

* * *

  
Meanwhile

* * *

  
Twilight Sparkle was cleaning her library when she found an unusual alcove. The alcove had a blue seal on it that resembled The Element of Loyalty with wings. In haste, Twilight began searching for a very specific book on her table. When she had finally found it she opened it to page 37. Inside was an identical picture akin to to the seal found on the wall. One that sounded a lot like what Rainbow Dash had found at the library. "I must tell her about this" muttered Twilight.

* * *

 

It was around midnight before Twilight Sparkle woke her up and started rambling about something involving "The Seal", and other things. Although she wasn't very specific, Dash still had a very good clue about what Twilight was talking about. When they finally arrived, Twilight had shown Dash the seal and asked her if she could do anything. And something she did do.

Rainbow Dash laid her hoof upon the seal. It lightly glowed before it slid back and then to the side to reveal yet another book.

As she pulled it out, Twilight dashed by and snatched the book. "We must be careful with it! Who knows how old it is or what kind of magic is on it!" Dash rolled her eyes before grabbed the book and laid it on the table 'Let's just read it. Or see what's in it anyways."

* * *

  
END INTERLUDE

* * *

 

 


	5. Memories

All that was inside the book was a note: --- From the desk of Grey Shade: Surprise, Surprise. Since you have found the second journal you are probably wondering "Why is it blank?" Well, that is because this is not the real journal. I, personally mind you, have hidden the real journal in a place where none may find it. In its place I left behind a small trove of memory orbs that Frostbite collected from the crew. The orbs are from our own views as we survived the ordeals of the ocean and the Island. Inside are 6 orbs that can only be activated via a specific virtue that belonged to its owner. Dispense these orbs to your friends and wait for them to activate. The orbs shall correspond with the owner's mind and slowly enter that piece of mind where our memory is stored and the orbs shall lightly tap that piece and gently place a flow of memories in there. That is how you shall know which orb belongs to you. Since the orbs were prototypes, they may contain several memories. -Grey Shade "Ninja, Assassin, Scout, Pure-awesomeness incarnate" --- Behind Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle resounded a faint 'Click" as the alcove where the book was opened further to reveal a second alcove below the first one. "Well, that was clever" muttered Twilight. Dash peeked inside the alcove where 6 orbs lay next to each other in two rows. She reached for the closest orb. As soon as her hoof brushed the orb it abruptly glowed greyish-blue and Rainbow Dash was enveloped in the hidden memory:

**===L===O===Y===A===L===T===Y===**

I woke up to the sound of banging on the deck and screams. Then, a loud slam and more shouting. "Ugh, what?" I groaned "What's happening?" I turned a bit to look at Frostbite. He was standing attentively and glaring at the ceiling. "Someone got killed. Or wounded. Badly" said Frost. He could be very unusual at times and this was definitely one of them. I heard the slam again and even more banging. Then shouts resounded throughout the ship. I was indeed curious about what was happening so I walked outside. It was there that I saw Sierra picking up her equipment and dashing up the stairs. I was surprised that she didn't fall. I turned toward Glade. "So what happened up there?" Glade slouched a bit "________ Got hurt pretty badly. I heard something about 'Hook-bats'. It was my fault that he got hurt up there. I was with him last night and I just left him there." I perked my ears up a bit. What was this about ___ and Glade? Steadily I felt a slight surge a jealousy. "So what exactly was going on...?" I prodded. Another scream resounded. This one sounded more animal-like. "Not much. We just stood around and talked. I tried to comfort him, but..."Glade shrugged "He misses his family. He misses home. And worst of all, he feels sorry for us most of all." A few seconds later, I saw Sierra walking down the stairs looking pale as a ghost, Grey looking grim as always, and ___ being helped down by Grey. ___ Looked the worst. I gasped as I saw the bandages: They were soaked in his blood and slightly caving in on his wound. ___ Steadily walked down the stairs and as he reached the bottom he said something that I felt surprised us all: "Hey, who's up for a musical?" 'Heh' I thought. Even in grim situations as this one he could still downplay it with a sense of humor. I walked over to Grey and tapped his shoulder. "Hmm?" He turned around "Oh, hey Skyfall. You need something?" "In a way. Would you mind telling me what happened up there?" He shrugged as he swung his sword around a bit "Just some Hooktail Bats. They messed ___ up pretty badly so I had to pull him over here. And by pull, what I really mean is drag." "You better check up on him. He's pretty shaken up" Said Grey before he left for his room. I sighed. I might as well check up on ___. I peeked into his room and saw him writing down in his journal. He didn't seem to be affected too badly by his wound. For just a slight moment I saw a faint sparkle on his flank and the appearance of a cutie mark. It looked like two scythes crossed on top of a shield. As I saw it, I felt a strange chill beginning to seep into me. Shaking off the cold, I opened the door and walked into his room. ___ Looked up as he saw me. "Heh, I thought you'd be passed out on the bed. That was a nasty wound you got." He paused for a moment before replying "Yeah. It was. I should be better by tomorrow." There was a bit of a silence between us. "So, uh, sorry for interrupting you at the palace." Glade wasn't joking. He really was a caring colt, even worrying over such trivial matters as that. "It's alright. You did much better than I could've. A much, much better job. I'm curious though, how did a pony from the slums learn to talk like that? Or know all that stuff?" ___ reached for a small stack of books and spread them out before me "Around the slums I sometimes would find some books. Plus, my friend Rose let me borrow some of her books. It's only thanks to her that I managed to do that." I studied him closely, his cutie mark was still there, but it was fading away steadily. I wondered if there was more to this pony than I thought there was. I'd have to take a peek at his journal if I wanted to know. "Hmm. I don't think that those books were just the cause...There's more to you than anyone can see. I can just feel it..." A shroud of silence was cast upon us. I cleared my throat "Well, I guess you'd like to rest. See you tomorrow." I rushed out of the room before he managed to say anything.

**\--- ===L===O===Y===A===L===T===Y===**

 As Rainbow Dash returned from the memory she had found herself confounded. As she entered Skyfall's mind she felt right in place. Like she was Skyfall. It was disturbing, but she knew that she was herself now. "So what did you see?" Asked Twilight. Rainbow Dash shuddered "A memory of Skyfall. A mare that was in that journal that I found a few days ago. "This one?" Asked Twilight as she lifted the book up. On the face of the book was the completed title "The Darkside Chronicles By Ripper". "Huh!" Rainbow Dash grabbed the book and looked at the title. The author's name was there, but it just didn't fit. She then remembered what Skyfall had said "There's more to you than what anypony can see", Maybe this was what she meant? Dash opened the journal, but the colt's name was still crossed out. Gone. As if he never wanted anypony to know who he really was and what his name was. The title, maybe it was just a new identity he made for himself. A new life. If he survived then that meant that he had made it to the Island or escaped. A new life, identity, and world. He wanted to change, but something seemed to be missing here. Dash felt as if she was holding a puzzle that looked complete, but there were parts missing. She just wished that she knew what was missing.

* * *

**6 hours later**

* * *

 After some much needed sleep, Rainbow Dash picked up the orbs and flew away. Her first stop was Clouddale where she had hoped to find someone who could interact with the orbs. While she had slept, she had experienced another memory. A faint one that seemed more like a dream, but in it, Dash was Skyfall and she saw herself running toward Canterlot with a burning desire to save somepony. A sense of Loyalty was compelling her. When Dash had woken up the feeling had still ot passed, but she felt the urge to give away the other 5 orbs. She felt that in doing so, she was helping Skyfall somehow. Once the last orb had left her satchel, Rainbow Dash had felt much more relaxed. She felt as if she had done the right thing, but she still wondered: To what end was she following these orders? And why?

* * *

**Home**

* * *

 When Rainbow Dash had finally gotten home, she opened up the old journal and, much to her delight, she had found more chapters in the small journal. Inside, she also found an empty page where the writing once again appeared to her "So you found the orbs?" Rainbow Dash reached for something to write with before she muttered "Of course I did, no thanks to you" When she had turned back to the journal she had found that it had wrote back to what she said earlier: "Haha, I apologize for my...Ah... Disappearance . The magic was beginning to fade and it grew harder for me to write back, now that it's back, stronger than before, what you say materializes on the book and I can read it" Her eyes had widened. The book itself was not writing back, but it was somepony else! Hesitantly she wrote back "Who are you?" The page was clear for a moment before an elegant writing appeared "A prisoner of unforeseen circumstances. My choices, and the lives that I saved all came back to me and had me landed in this prison. As for my name, I am not at a liberty to reveal it just yet. Or remember it. I have long forgotten much of my past, and the only thing that helps me retain my sanity is this book that lies before my hooves." "So where are you?" Asked Rainbow Dash. *Skritch Skritch* "I do not know. It has been long since I have last seen the outside of my prison." Rainbow Dash thought for a moment before she asked him "How did you know what I was doing?" *Skritch Skritch* "The magic that surrounds the journal is very, very ancient. As such, I can manipulate it slightly. This allowed me to see what was around the journal and interact with them. As long as they interacted with the book first." "I once had journeyed with the 13 ponies that are written in the journal. I personally had known Skyfall, Grey, Rose, Scorch, FrostBite, ___, Glade, Hawke, Sierra Myst, Raindrop, Storm Chaser, Duster, and Snowflake."

Rainbow Dash frowned. The journal said there was only 13 colts, not 14. Then who was this one? "So who are you then? The Captain?"

*Skritch Skritch* "I was an excess passenger they picked up by chance. I was there when the Chaos began, and when the story ended. It is all written down before you. This journal was ___ Most prized possession. When it became damaged, he had Frost integrate it with another one. It was here that he wrote everything down before hiding it away with the other journals."

"The other journals?" Asked Rainbow Dash.

*Skritch Skritch* "Yes. The others. His journey to the Southern Islands isn't where his tale ends, but only where it began..."


End file.
